Original Penguin

(Shopped 09÷18÷15 F @ 1:30pm and many times before): A posthumous prose for my plump plumage penguin pals!
One of my favorite stores
was closing at the end of September 2015 so everything was 30%-60%-off! If you knew ANYTHING about me, I loved all-​things penguins and that extended to this particular clothing line. Once I received the email notice of this sad news, wild horses and a slew of rolling stones couldn’t keep me away. I’ve already shown my hand and my obvious adoring love for this brand and specific store, so here was a lasting story that will forever live in the internet-​sphere!:
The Purchase ($ 89.38 Post-​Discount) — Honestly, I really didn’t need anymore clothes, but with a deal like this there was no way I wouldn’t at least check it out! What was in my shopping bag?!
~“Skydiver” Button-​down Short-​Sleeve Shirt ($ 79.00 reg. price /​$ 34.99 sale price): An aloha shirt with pineapples and a 60s Beach Boys retro feel, I had to have!
~“Earl” Heritage Slim Fit Red Polo Shirt ($ 59.00 reg. price /​$ 23.60 sale price): This was hands-​down THE iconic polo style that needed to be in your wardrobe… and, I had to replace a fading one anyway. The fit was amazing with its tapered sides, and the clean piping around the collar and sleeves was this brand’s ubiquitous symbol along with the dapper penguin logo.
~“Earl” Heritage Slim Fit Caviar Polo Shirt ($ 59.00 reg. price /​$ 23.60 sale price): There was nothing wrong with getting one in another color!

Service — During this time of pending closure, the two attractive friendly males who worked this day were of the utmost professional behavior and extremely helpful. This type of customer service was de rigueur of this store and not often found at other locations I’ve visited. I was welcomed with a happy greeting and nearly fawned-​over as I meticulously walked the entire store not to miss anything. They were on it when I needed another size of a shirt I eventually bought. Basically, I was treated like a King… Penguin, that was!
Parking (Free this ocassion; Varies) — I tried to limit myself to two hours max in this store since that was what the nearby street signs had posted. Sadly, I never noticed nor have I ever asked if they had any private parking since I never saw the back of the store. Otherwise, there were meters all along the main drag of Melrose Ave.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — A simple boxy store filled wall-​to-​wall with clothes neatly displayed on tables, rolling racks, and shelves. A cherry wood color helped to diffuse the somewhat blinding brightness of the electric ceiling lighting while warm natural lighting bled through the large front glass door and walls. The dressing rooms were roomy and had benches to sit on which was always appreciated. With just a few framed promotional pictures hung on the walls, everything was kept clean. There were no TVs but music played in the background.
Attire — Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-​flops.
Overall, the Original Penguin Melrose location was the first one I shopped at and built such a rapport with those who worked there that there really wasn’t a need to venture elsewhere. I tried other locations, but I always came back here like Pavlov’s dog. Sure, the parking situation wasn’t the best and the prices were certainly on the high side, but it was the customer service that brought me back ever time. And frankly, I looked good in everything I’ve bought from this brand, so I was fine with the heightened price tag! Sadly, I must find another location that would serve my needs… I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $ 89.00; no tip required). And, they accepted my credit card of choice… AMEX! 5.0 STARS

I bought some items online and i did not like the sizing of one of the coats, so I came to this store to return that coat. Joe, the employee who was serving me refused to let me return because i used Paypal to pay for it. According to him, it is the company’s policy to not accept return from Paypal user. I showed him the return’s policy imprinted on the back of my packing slip, it clearly stated «PayPal purchases will be refunded to your PayPal account» yet he still refused to accept it. Toward the end of our conversation, he even raised his voice saying that the best he can do is give me store credit, so take it or leave it. I left and called them back the morning after inquiring their boss about the incident, and sure enough that guy Joe was wrong. I ended up wasting another trip to that store… I was so mad that i return the other jacket that i bought a couple weeks back which i didn’t plan on returning. I actually had pleasant experiences with this store from previous visits. I can’t believe the store owner allow him to be the «acting manager», this guy Joe is a joke!

Boo… Unilocal said this place was open until 7:00 PM on a Sunday. I drove 45 minutes out of my way only to find it closed at 6:30 PM. Someone needs to get their act together!

Cool and chill clothes.
I love the sales too. Great collection of clothes to break up your wardrobe.
Dress it up or dress down, you can have it however you want.
If you can’t park on the street, park in the lot next door — sorry Paul Smith (love you too).

I love the Penquin collection so this store is perfect for me. It’s a bouiique like store on Melrose. They do have small parking area in the back.
They are pretty well stocked with merchandise. The staff seems to be well knowledge and friendly.
I also go invited to one of their exclusive parties if you’re a loyal customer so that was pretty fun.

If you are a man or want to buy men’s clothes, this place has some good deals. If you are a woman, it sucks. They used to have at least a nice little section of stuff for females, but when I went in today there was one rack in the back with two shirts, 2 skirts, and two pairs of shorts. That was it. It was over 90 degrees today and I deeply regretted the time spent walking down the street and into the store when I realized that though they claim to also have women’s clothes here, they really don’t. If you’re an infant or a little kid, though, you might be in luck – they were selling a lot of overpriced onesies and kids clothes. Apparently it’s only the needs of grown women that they are completely unable to meet despite claiming to

Been here a few times. The last time i was here, the staff was very friendly and helpful, making suggestions and not being pushy or condescending, as is the case in some upscale shops. I went when they had a sale. Got some cute shorts, sandals and their new slim polo shirt. I love this store, have also shopped online for swim trunks. Love Original Penguin.

A unique collection, hence the name Original.

Loved the store, great collection.
The staff was polite and helpful.
They were intelligent, polite, and helped me with everything I needed.
Saw the new watch line, it looked very cool.
The stretchy bands are awesome.
Grabbed a few shirts and they had a deal on polos.
Definitely a good place to go if you are a fan of the Original Penguin brand.

Parking is horrible (as is the case with most shops on Melrose) but once you’re inside, you’re set. The staff is very friendly and personable and the selection is great. I’ve previously only visited the Newport Beach location (because of the better parking situation) but this store is a much better shopping experience from beginning to end.

I attended the July 2012 FILTER magazine Summer Sessions event at Original Penguin. Food, beer and KRU vodka-​based cocktails were free and fabulous.
It was the perfect introduction to this place. The store and staff are really nice. There is comfortable and plentiful seating outside the dressing rooms. Quirky clothing for Men and Women. Love how that penguin is cleverly integrated into their fashion designs.

I really like penguin clothes, but they can be expensive.
While I’m must remain sequestered to the sale section of this store, it is huge and they usually have a variety of sizes.
This store is always having a sale of some kind going on. It’s worth calling to find out what the special is any given day before heading out.

penguin is for a very certain type of person. hip, indie, colorful but not crazy loud… and lean!
i really love this stuff. it’s classic but with a twist, and everything is bright and happy. you could throw on any of the shirts with a basic pair of jeans and you suddenly look like you have style and taste. (which i do of course heheh…)
the clothing is really nice, quite high quality, stylish, and has a laid-​back elegant ease. this stuff is pricey (i.e. $ 90 for a long sleeved causal /​dress shirt). but its worth treating yourself to a few good pieces, and this would be it.
this stuff is for people who like a youthful, clean exuberance to clothes. it’s not anonymous a&f herd-​mentality does-this-make-me-look-like-i-go-to-the-gym-even-tho-i-don’t stuff.
wasn’t busy at all when i walked in, and the salesgirl was very pleasant, trying to help any way she could and telling me about the sales that were going on etc. i probably would have bought something but i just came from my accountant and the other day i bought some damn Facebook stock. sheyat…
oh well. really nice preppy cool classic hip fun stuff in here.

Great store with great clothes. The staff is cool and helpful. I always liked going here to check out the sales racks.
What I fear though is that this store is about to close. They’ve had a for lease sign in the upper window for months, and when I asked about it the staff didn’t know what was going on.
Now the store functions as an outlet store. Uh oh… I think the end is near.

Great store, great clothes, great customer service. Was in this store last weekend and Erica helped us out. She was great! She found a ton of stuff that we liked and also called a couple of other stores to have some items they didn’t have in stock sent to the house. Erica was great and we left the store with about 20 items!
I love places like this that really know how to do sales and customer service right.

I love Penguin and I love this store. I try to stop by whenever I’m in LA. The store often seems to have REALLY great sales, like randomly they’ll just have all sale items an additional 40% off and stuff like that. I usually don’t leave the store empty handed because the sales are usually so good and it’s well-​made, high quality clothes. I just wish they had a bigger selection of women’s clothing. Last year I was in a Penguin store in London and it had a huuuge selection of women’s clothing. I hope the stores in the US start carrying a bigger selection.
The staff at this store is really nice and friendly. Totally unpretentious and always really helpful.

Came here by chance and bought my brother some great clothes.
What gives this place a 5 star is the customer service! They were so nice and helped me pick outfits for my brother.
I can’t say anything bad about this place. I heart you.

We were taking a nice weekend morning walk around WeHo, and we were thrilled to find an entire Penguin store. I really like this brand, because it’s well manufactured and slim-​fitting — which is exactly what my lanky frame needs. Back in San Diego, Penguin items are hard to find. I’ve only been able to find them at the fancy department stores with big mark-​ups.
But here, on a bustling stretch of Melrose, I discovered that Penguin items are abundant *and* cheap. There are lots of sale racks, and we happened to come in a day where everything in the store was 30% off (including the sale items). This made for some really great deals. Who knew that I could buy a bag full of styley items on Melrose for less than the cost of a trip to Marshall’s? It’s a recessionista’s dream come true.
On top of all that, the store is organized, the salespeople are helpful and friendly, and the music isn’t too loud. I’d venture to say that this was a pitch-​perfect discovery in LA. If you’re in the neighborhood, definitely check it out. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the fantastic deals waiting to be discovered here.

I discovered Original Penguin shirts in March ’07, and I have to hold back in order to keep from emptying my wallet when I’m in this store. I want to buy everything I see. Like Ben Sherman, this store sells shirts w/​a more tapered cut. (I thought that maybe Penguin was from Europe, but actually they started out in Minneapolis and the label is now owned by Perry Ellis.)
If you’re slim, you’ll appreciate the tapered feel to their shirts, both «Polo style» and button up shirts. American designers like Banana Republic have gotten to the point, where their «Small» shirts are huge on slim guys. Maybe they’re just responding to the widening of Americans in general, but, I don’t like swimming in my shirts.
Original Penguin clothing is stylish, fun, but not too outlandish. A 30-​something guy can wear these stylish clothes and not feel foolish. I recommend looking for items on sale. Their full priced items are not super expensive, but I wouldn’t consider them really «affordable» either. If you’re patient, much of the inventory eventually goes onto the sale rack. I just bought a short sleeve sweater/​shirt that was originally $ 120, for $ 39. Penguin gear is sold in places other than their stores, like small boutiques, but it’s harder to find sale items at other places, I’ve found. If you walk into this Original Penguin store, you’re sure to find something on sale.

My first time visiting this shop was for a BPM magazine party. Hey, it had free booze and 35% off entire store! Who wouldn’t want to shop while tipping back some and save some pennies?
It’s situated on the trendy Melrose street. The store was spacious but I felt their women’s selections were limited. Whereas the men’s had a larger selection and I found some nice shirts for my guy. Lucky him!
While purchasing our goods, they gave us free skinny ties! So not the usual way to shop at Original Penguins but the most pleasant for us.
Check it out if you’re into trendy preppy wear! FYI, their website has great sales!